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Doug Fir Roubo Benches > 3 yrs old - Printable Version

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Doug Fir Roubo Benches > 3 yrs old - cputnam - 06-26-2019

Those of you who built your benches, specifically the tops, from Douglas Fir or other softwood three or so, or more years ago, has the resin in the tops hardened yet. What other changes have you noticed? Still happy with your wood choice?


RE: Doug Fir Roubo Benches > 3 yrs old - Chuck Nickerson - 06-27-2019

I made my split-top Roubo 5+ years ago from lumber yard DF 2x12's.

I don't know if all the resin has set but at least it has stopped leaking resin onto my Benchcrafted wagon vise hardware.

I don't regret the choice yet. The price difference for the wood eased my conscience on buying the Benchcrafted hardware.

At the time I figured if the DF didn't work I could replace the top 1/2 at a time. (One of the unsung glories of a split-top.)


RE: Doug Fir Roubo Benches > 3 yrs old - Admiral - 06-27-2019

(06-26-2019, 09:02 PM)cputnam Wrote: Those of you who built your benches, specifically the tops, from Douglas Fir or other softwood three or so, or more years ago, has the resin in the tops hardened yet.  What other changes have you noticed?  Still happy with your wood choice?

Not really answering your question, but my first bench has been pushed aside for about 10 years since I got a Sjobergs, it used a solid core door as a top and I've toyed with making a new top for it as the undercarriage is quite stout.  I've thought about DF but also SYP 4x4s, problem is untreated SYP is hard to come by in NJ, as I would imagine it would be on the west coast.  But if you could find some, I think it would be superior.


RE: Doug Fir Roubo Benches > 3 yrs old - jeffcon4 - 06-27-2019

(06-26-2019, 09:02 PM)cputnam Wrote: Those of you who built your benches, specifically the tops, from Douglas Fir or other softwood three or so, or more years ago, has the resin in the tops hardened yet.  What other changes have you noticed?  Still happy with your wood choice?

Five years out on my laminated 2x4 doug fir bench - no big issues so far. Legs and aprons are 2x6 - no issues there either. Haven't had any problems with resin. I use it everyday and I don't regret the choice at all.


RE: Doug Fir Roubo Benches > 3 yrs old - mdhills - 06-27-2019

My bench is doug fir.  I bought it from the original owner who had started to build it, probably using reclaimed beams.  (the lumber was already pretty hard by this point)


I had a lot of flattening to do to get it into working condition.
Petrified Doug fir with knots is no fun to plane--a toothed plane in a LAJ was a really big help for this.
This has left a bit of texture on bench, which I've left as-is.
I sometimes think about applying a finish, but haven't applied anything to-date.
(I don't usually glue-up or finish on the bench, so it would mostly be to keep it a bit cleaner)


It seemed pretty easy to get nasty splinters started on the edges, so I put a small roundover on all exterior edges, and a light chamfer on the dog holes that I bored.

In the end, I'm pretty happy with it.

Matt


RE: Doug Fir Roubo Benches > 3 yrs old - hbmcc - 06-28-2019

Not only bench experience:

I have been able to pick up clear, old-growth, doug fir of some variety and sources  over the past several years. I am pretty positive that you will be very old before buried pitch pockets "harden" into an amber-like substance. That transition seems to accelerate when those pockets are exposed to air and given the freedom to drain ... all over your best work. 

I don't know how deep those buried pockets need to be for the wood to be considered stable and non-molten. "Near" pockets, wood surfaces can blister and sweat sticky syrup. Without migration to new exposures, and higher temperatures, I feel the wood is somewhat safe from new flow after 3 years. You could let it all hang out and submit the object to trial by fire to improve a safety margin.  

Also, we don't often see (I haven't) SYP in lumber form in the Pac. NW; so no comparisons from my end.

PS. Noticed there is a duplicate of this post.


RE: Doug Fir Roubo Benches > 3 yrs old - Brent V. - 06-29-2019

My bench is a split-top Roubo of Douglas Fir, and I couldn't be happier.

I found a laminated structural beam for the top at an architectural salvage store, and solid 5x5s from an old farmhouse for the legs from the same place. The wood in my bench is older than I am. There has been no pitch leakage at all, and the top is rather hard and tough, though there are a few dings here and there. I completed it January of 2017.


RE: Doug Fir Roubo Benches > 3 yrs old - TraditionalToolworks - 06-30-2019

(06-26-2019, 09:02 PM)cputnam Wrote: Those of you who built your benches, specifically the tops, from Douglas Fir or other softwood three or so, or more years ago, has the resin in the tops hardened yet.  What other changes have you noticed?  Still happy with your wood choice?
Honestly I don't think the wood matters very much, it's a bench. I'm building a shop as I type and the first thing I will need to do is build a bench.

If you spooge it up, just plane the top again, pretty simple. In that regard how can you make a bad choice in wood? Some is softer, some is harder...some like a soft bench so they don't damage the wood they work with, others like a bench made out of hardware so it is more durable.

There are people that build benches out of pine. Wood is wood, it's all good.

Alan - who didn't build a Roubo and built his bench out of hard maple.


RE: Doug Fir Roubo Benches > 3 yrs old - bandit571 - 06-30-2019

Built mine years ago....right now it is a bit crowded...
Winkgrin
[attachment=19095]
Since I am using it...
Rolleyes
[attachment=19096]
And, yes, the bench was made out of Dumpster-dive Pine.  The leg vise "chop" is 2 x 6 Sycamore, though...
Cool


RE: Doug Fir Roubo Benches > 3 yrs old - kdouglaslee - 07-01-2019

(06-26-2019, 09:02 PM)cputnam Wrote: Those of you who built your benches, specifically the tops, from Douglas Fir or other softwood three or so, or more years ago, has the resin in the tops hardened yet.  What other changes have you noticed?  Still happy with your wood choice?

I've been planning on building such a thing this fall, when it cools down, using SYP.  Was going to ask why you wanted to use Doug Fir instead of SYP, but surprisingly I see folks saying that it's hard to get SYP at their location, like the PNW or NJ.  I wonder if folks are only looking at the home centers, like Home Depot or Lowes?  Even here in Mississippi, I usually have to go to a building supply company to get SYP in the size and quality I want, and sometimes I can't find any SYP in the big box stores at all.  At the building supply I go to, though, I can get SYP that really should be graded higher than it is, for a price better than the big boys sell their crappy "white wood" for.  For example, I bought some 2x12x12 SYP that is almost completely clear of knots, but graded as construction lumber (no. 2 common if I recall correctly) for $16 a board (about sixty seven cents a board foot!).  Maybe that's just a Mississippi thing, but with a phone call or two you might find a good supply locally at a good price.